Russia is apparently fining Apple for 12 million US Dollars for allegedly abusing the dominance of its mobile app store in the market. This marks another case of the brand facing charges over its app store.
According to a MoneyControl report, The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) stated earlier this week that the Cupertino based giant’s distribution of apps through its iOS operating system gave its own products a higher competitive advantage. Apple replied to this allegations and said that it “respectfully disagreed” with the ruling from FAS and said that it would appeal it. In recent months, western tech giants have come under increasing scrutiny in the region, with Twitter also facing pressure after failing to delete certain content online.
Similarly, Facebook, Google, and even TikTok have also been facing increasing pressure by the local government and authorities. In a statement, the FAS announced a 906.3 million Roubles (roughly 12.1 million US Dollars) fine on Apple for violating the Russian anti monopoly legislation. Back in 2020, the agency had found that the company has abused its dominant position and then issued a directive that had it remove provisions, which allowed it the right to reject third party apps from its App Store.
The move from the agency arrives after a complaint from known cybersecurity based firm Kaspersky Lab, which stated that a new version of its Safe Kids app was declined by Apple’s operating system. In response to this, the iPhone maker said that it has “worked with Kaspersky to get their app in compliance with rules that were put in place to protect children. They now have 13 apps on the App Store and we have processed hundreds of updates for them.”
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